Welcome to "Every Day with Christ." This is a space to share thoughts and insights about following Christ in everyday life. I will post Bible verses, personal experiences, and pictures. I hope that you will be inspired to share stories of how Christ is working in your everyday life.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Walking through life with the Lord is like having a wise, old, and trusted friend available at every moment. Every day, I realize afresh that He knows me better than I know myself, and that His love is incomprehensibly wide and deep. The walk is rich and satisfying even during hard times when jobs disappear, when struggling with a persistent sin, and during times of grief as well as joy. Regardless of what I do, and regardless of what happens, the Lord treats me with such love and kind regard that even the worst circumstances are made doable.

As I reflect on the years spent with the Lord, I’m amazed at how peaceful (conflict-free) our relationship is. I know myself well enough to know that I can be contrary, stubborn, and willful. Yet the Lord leads me so that none of those characteristics interfere with our daily progress. In my years of walking with the Lord, I have never felt pushed or coerced. I’ve always and only felt His complete love in all that we do.

Without question, this is the best relationship that I’ve ever had. Many times, I’ve tried to analyze what the Lord does to work with me so perfectly. And I’ve often thought that if I could imitate Him, then my interactions with my family, friends, and co-workers would be much richer and happier.

So I asked the Lord for his secret. What can I do to treat other people in the same way that you treat me? The Lord answered, "Treat people as they are, not as you want them to be. That is how I treat you."

The wisdom of his answer is, of course, perfect. So often I want others to change or to see things my way. I believe the desire to persuade or change people is present in almost all interactions even if it’s on a subconscious level. And as long as is self-interest is involved, I believe that we never truly see the other person as he or she is. And if we don’t see them as they are, then we see only a distortion of our own making.

The Lord added, "It's a matter of respecting the person's nature and working with it." A key word in this advice is, respect. Respect means to admire someone deeply, such as admiring his or her abilities, qualities, or achievements. Synonyms for respect provide more insight and they include: esteem, honor, regard, and consideration. In fact, these definitions and synonyms describe how the Lord makes me feel in our relationship. And as a result, He makes it easy for me to follow Him. And it makes it easy for me to change—to change my ways, my course, or whatever else needs changing.

As I thought about this perfect relationship that the Lord creates with us, Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:35-41 came to mind. When an expert in Jewish law asked Jesus was the greatest commandment was, the Lord replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."(Matthew 22:35-41 NIV).

The way the Lord treats us every day is a perfect example of love. It is an example that we can imitate as we love God and our neighbors.

To Accept Jesus as Your Savior

There is only one way to gain life-changing joy and peace in your life, and that is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. To accept Christ as your Savior, pray this prayer.
“Lord, I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died for my sins on the cross and rose from the grave. I turn away from my sins. I ask You to forgive me and to be my Savior. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer, the next step is to find a Christian church and tell the pastor about your faith in Jesus. The church can guide you through baptism and your joyous growth in Christ.

Contact

Our Hope Is in Him

(c) Charlotte Lowrie

An Invitation to Contribute

If you have experiences from your walk with Christ that you'd like to share, please e-mail me your story. I can then post your text. All posts and articles are reviewed to ensure appropriateness for this forum. You can e-mail me at charlotte@everydaywithchrist.com.

John 8: 12 (NIV)

"...I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Live the Resurrection!

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Psalm 84:10-11 (NIV)

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless."

About Me

Matthew 28: 19-20 (NIV)

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."